Berlin suspends financial aid of 25mln euro to Egypt

August 16, 2013, 17:14 UTC+3Germany will coninue supplying water and electricity

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Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

BERLIN, August 16 (Itar-Tass) - The German government has frozen a financial transaction of 25 million euro which was allocated for Egypt’s development needs. The move reflected a deteriorating situation in the African country, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dirk Nibel said on Friday, noting that the money had been intended for environmental projects.

Around 15 million euro of that amount will now go to Syrian refugees in Jordan, the minister said, adding that no new money for Egyptian development projects was planned at present. “Nevertheless, we are not abandoning the Egyptian population to their fate,” he said.

The German government will maintain assistance to that country by supplying electricity and water, as well as by improving democracy and human rights issues, the minister added.

Last year, Germany allocated 100 million euro towards the aforementioned goals. “Denial of such assistance would be punishment for those who want to build a new democratic Egypt,” he said.